The Moondance International Film Festival, featuring its distinctive cinematic visions and bold film selections, has distinguished itself around the world as much more than an annual film festival! The Moondance is a unique community, a supportive, productive, and creative year-round collaboration between independent filmmakers and movie audiences, between writers, composers and the world of top-quality filmed entertainment.The Moondance film screenings are all online, viewable via the Moondance website links. Moondance 2017 is the first major film festival to accomplish this.This is truly today’s preferred, state-of-the-art & most important global film viewing & promotional advantage!

INSIDER TIPS:

A FILMMAKERS TOOLBOX:

“MAKING A GREAT PROMOTIONAL TRAILER”

By Elizabeth English

Do you want to have a really good 2-3-minute trailer to send to producers, studios, film festival competitions, for your website & in social media ? Haven’t quite finished post on your film yet, but want to promote it now?

Great trailers are in a special class of their own; little polished gems that showcase your film, and make people want to see more! But film trailers can be more difficult to make really well than the entire film, itself. It can be more time-consuming, judicious editing must be a main concern, you have to tell the main story, theme & concept quickly, harder scene decisions need to be made, and you need to sell your film in less than three minutes.

Can you tell the main story, introduce the lead characters, show the main conflict, and give the viewer a visual, memorable impression in under three minutes? And, remember, you need to hook the viewer in the first few seconds! You probably don’t even have a full 3 minutes to do the job, unless the first 30-60 seconds are fantastic.READ MORE HERE!

MOONDANCE NEWS:

INTRODUCING OUR 2017 ONLINE FILM SCREENINGS COORDINATOR:

Michael Conti

Michael M. Conti is a Boulder, Colorado-based filmmaker. He once challenged himself to make a short film once a month for a year, and then found other filmmakers equally crazy to join him. He ran The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival Boulder for nine years as executive director. Besides teaching as an adjunct professor in digital video editing and videography, Michael also provides video services for corporate, government and spiritual clients around the country. His current filming passion has made him into an internationally-known filmmaker with the release of his inspirational documentary, The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard.The film premiered in Germany, and screened at Harvard Divinity School, Emory University, & other important venues. This film is part of a series with “The Unruly Mystic: John Muir”, now in post-production for release in April 2018. On a side note, in 2003, Michael worked as Co-director & Cinematographer with Director & producer Elizabeth English, making LOSING JULIA, based upon her short screenplay, and which premiered at the 2004 Moondance.

A MOONDANCER WRITES US:

“Thank you again for the honor of being in your festival. We’re excited to watch all of the film submissions!” ~ Owen Weber, co-director: “JimMortal”, 2017 winning filmed TV pilot & available to watch online.

Via regular news-blogs, social media, media releases, advertising, regular promotions on LinkedIn, Stage32, FilmFreeway, InkTip, Vimeo, Google, Facebook & Twitter, as well as PR trades with several entertainment-related websites. Plus, we strongly recommend to selected filmmakers, writers and composers to promote their Moondance status on their websites & social media, as well as sending out media releases (which get Internet attention from Google & other search engines). Not to mention all the many US & international visitors to the Moondance website, daily.

The Moondance film screenings are online-only! All winning & selected films will be screened online. How this state-of-the-art online film festival works: all selected films will have a photo still & mini-synopsis/logline on the Moondance website, with a private link and pass-code to view the film on the private, dedicated Moondance Vimeo portfolio.

Now your film will have the opportunity for not only to be screened once in a local theater, but also to be viewed an international audience of many thousands of viewers, on a computer or any mobile device, for a long time to come, instead of maybe an audience of 50-100 or so, screened only once at a local film festival’s theatrical venue.

TEHRAN – Five Iranian films have won awards in various categories at the Moondance International Film Festival in the city of Boulder, in the northern part of the U.S. State of Colorado. “Weavers of Imagination” co-directed by Sadeq Jafari and Marzieh Vaziri received one of the two awards in the short documentary film category, the organizers announced last week. “Niofar” by Hugo Lemant from France won another award in the section. “Not Yet” by Arian Vazirdaftari was among the eight winners in the short film category. Three of the eight awards in the animation film section went to “Light Sight” by Seyyed Moslem Tabatabai, “The Orangish Tree” by Amir-Hushang Moein and “The Servant” by Farnush Abedi.

A MOONDANCER WRITES US:

Thank you so much, very honored to be a winner in this category. Every step is a small one and with tireless determination and perseverance, one never knows where the path will lead. I’m pleased beyond belief and I love, love, love your festival. I know it’s a lot of hard work and it shows! ~ Gary A. Piazza, Winner: Feature Screenplay for “Breakaway Heart.”

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY:

We cannot control the length of our life, but we can certainly determine the width and the depth of it. ~Author Unknown

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“I choose…to live by choice, not by chance; to make changes, not excuses; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used; to excel, not compete. I choose self-esteem, not self-pity. I choose to listen to my inner voice, not the random opinions of others. ~ Author Unknown

We thoroughly enjoyed previewing all the films, reading all the written works, and listening to all the music submitted! Please go now to see the listing of the Moondance 2017 winners, finalists and semi-finalists, in all competition categoriesHERE.Thank you and sincerest congratulations to all our fine filmmakers, writers and composers!

You can find downloadable Moondance 2017 laurelsHEREto add, if eligible, to your website, social media, promotions, and media releases.

Moondance supports the gallant humanitarian efforts of the local first responders, all the volunteers, the Red Cross, the Humane Society, and all the heroes, in the US and elsewhere in the world, who are giving their time & efforts to rescuing and providing for the many victims of the recent storms, earthquakes, mudslides and wildfires.

A MOONDANCER WRITES US:

“Thank you so much for all the periodic updates and all the wonderful blog articles. I loved reading about how an 80 year-old screenwriter in Benghazi, Libya, gets up at 6:00 every morning to research and hone his craft. What an inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing!!” ~ Melissa L. White

INSIDER TIP:

SCREENWRITERS: HOW TO GET AN AGENT

What Literary Agents Want (and don’t want) to See:

By Elizabeth English

Story: This is the first thing agents look at, when considering whether to read your script or not. Unique story, well-told.

Write killer titles, loglines and one-sheet synopses for the all the scripts you want to submit to agents.

Write up a one-sheet document with titles and loglines of all your completed screenplays. You may be asked to send these before sending in a screenplay.

In your initial contact, try to find out what genre of story that agent is looking for, at the moment. Agents generally know exactly what the buyers want to see, and will usually only request those genres. But needs change all the time, and at a moment’s notice, so let them know what you have, even if they’re not looking for that at the time of your call.

You probably will be asked to submit your logline, synopsis and script digitally, via an email attachment. Be sure to have your name & contact info on the cover page!

Format and structure: in submitting your work to an agent, you should be sure the script is in proper format and structure. There are many books and online articles on these vital subjects. Edit every word of the script with a fine-toothed comb, and correct all spelling, punctuation and syntax errors.READ MORE HERE

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

WATCH THIS SHORT MUSIC VIDEO, TO BE INSPIRED!

“Stand by Me” Playing for Change

Click on image to watch the video:

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Isaac Littlejohn Eddy for The New Yorker magazine

“Passion is energy. Keep the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Thanks a million for all the very fine submissions by talented filmmakers, writers and composers we received, for the 2017 Moondance competition! We are finished with previewing all 2017 submissions, and announcements will be made very soon! ~ The Moondance Team

Don’t miss reading all the great filmmaking & writing articles written by pros exclusively for Moondancers.

MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS:

The Humming Effect

Sound Healing for Health and Happiness

Humming is one of the simplest and yet most profound sounds we can make. Research has shown humming to be much more than a self-soothing sound: it affects us on a physical level, reducing stress, inducing calmness, and enhancing sleep as well as lowering heart rate and blood pressure and producing powerful neurochemicals such as oxytocin, the “love” hormone.

In this guide to conscious humming, Jonathan and Andi Goldman show that you do not need to be a musician or singer to benefit from sound healing practices—all you need to do is hum. Experience the powerful vibratory resonance that humming can create and harness its healing benefits for body, mind, and spirit.

Self-created sounds can literally rearrange molecular structure and how humming not only helps with stress levels, sleep, and blood pressure but also increases lymphatic circulation and melatonin production, releases endorphins, creates new neural pathways in the brain, and releases nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter fundamental to health and well-being, and sound can act as a triggering mechanism for the manifestation of your conscious intentions.READ MORE HERE

JUST WONDERING:Why do all the images of Adam & Eve show them both with belly-buttons? Wouldn’t that mean that they were born from, presumably, 2 mothers, and sired by 2 fathers, who were there before them? It’s a conundrum, or maybe just artists’ misinterpretation of the Bible story!

SOME MORE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” ~ Thomas A. Edison

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“Flowers always make people better and happier; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” ~ Luther Burbank

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An oldie-but-goodie: “Young at Heart”, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, 1953

It’s much better by far to be young at heart.

And if you should survive to a hundred and five

Look at all you’ll derive out of bein’ alive

And here is the best part, you have a head start

If you are among the very young at heart

Equality, integrity, peace and nonviolence are ideals toward which we strive, in this film festival, in our lives and in the world. To stand by silently is not an option. Wherever you are on your life’s journey, we invite you to join us.

MOONDANCERS WRITE US:

“Thanks, from the heart. I am an 80-year-old amateur screenwriter in Arabic. I enjoyed tremendously your article on: Creating Character and Characterization in Screenplays. I learned a lot. And will need it as I get up at 6 am everyday to research my new adventure in screenplay writing. I enjoyed your fine ideas on character creation. God bless you.” Saad Ismail, Benghazi, Libya.

“Thank you for the suggestion of expanding “Secondhand Saints” into a TV series. I’m indebted to you and to Moondance. I believe we are living in a new period of “moral anxiety” in the Trump Era. I’ve attempted to tell moral fables…from a humanist perspective that calls for treating other belief systems with respect.” Michael Montgomery

The final entry deadline has now passed, and many thanks for all the very fine submissions by talented filmmakers, writers and composers we’ve received, for the 2017 Moondance competition!

We are almost finished with previewing all 2017 submissions, and announcements will be made soon! ~The Moondance Team

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

The 2018 Moondance call-for-entries will open earlier than usual: September 1, 2017, so if you missed submitting a project for 2017, get ready for the 2018 call-for-entries!

INSIDER TIPS:

RADIO PLAYS ARE MIND-MOVIES!

By Elizabeth English

LEARN HOW TO ADAPT YOUR STORIES TO THIS POPULAR MEDIUM!

Radio is sometimes known as the writer’s favorite medium; as Malcolm Bradbury once said, it is “a world made with words shaped into being, without a physical presence.” With radio, you have to use your imagination – something you don’t need when watching TV or movies. We can be whomever we want to be, travel wherever we want to go; all in “our mind’s eye”, thanks to radio programs. The stories and scenarios are often planted forever in our memories and in our own personal “theatre of the mind”.

Radio drama has long been a fertile training ground for writers and is a genre in which screenwriters, playwrights and television writers feel at home. It has given voice to generations of writers. Moondance is dedicated to ensuring that audio drama remains an integral and dynamic part of our international broadcasting and cultural heritage. READ MORE HERE

Elephants Without Borders is a charitable organization dedicated to conserving wildlife and natural resources; through innovative research, education, and information sharing with all people, we strive to encourage mankind to live in harmony with wildlife and the natural world. EWB is based in Kazungula, Botswana’s border town where the boundaries of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet along the Zambezi River.

The African elephant is an ambassador for conservation, providing motivation for raising awareness, stimulating action, encouraging funding for conservation efforts, and generating opportunities to reconsider the boundaries between conservation and rural development. EWB’s vision is to open borders for Africa’s wildlife through research and education, and to help ensure a prosperous and compatible future between people and wildlife.

Elephants Without Borders relies on the generosity of donors, foundations and grants. Maximizing donor funds is our greatest concern and we guarantee our donors that their generous gifts go directly to their intended projects aimed at conserving elephants, wildlife and natural resources. Each donation is vital to EWB’s mission, thus we are extremely grateful for your support!SUPPORT

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” ~ Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education, and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. She is known for human rights advocacy.

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“Freedom” by Zenos Frudakis

“Instead of looking at the past, I put myself 10 or 20 years ahead, and try to look at what I need to do to get there then.” ~ Diana Ross

Movies combine multi-layered text with many messages sent and received. Subtext is “a subtle or coded message sent and received.” Subtext is the message under the message. Subtext when made obvious becomes text. Text is received through our eyes and ears. Sending and receiving text is a mental and physical process.

Subtext is received through our intuitions, thoughts, and feelings. Subtext is a mental, physical and emotional process. Subtext is filtered by our own experiences, knowledge, beliefs, and values. Subtext in screenplays can be, and should be, visual as well auditory.

Screenplays open up a whole range of subtext not available in other written texts. Images, manner of the characters, props used, dress and presentation of characters are all subtle forms of subtext. Screenwriters need to be aware of the subtleties within each scene, use them, manipulate them understand their uses and the concepts, ideas, and images created that are implied in, or can be inferred from the subtext. It is this careful manipulation of subtext that will make one screenplay stand out from another. A reader will sense something is different with a carefully crafted screenplay with consistent subtext.

Life itself is full of subtexts. Every day we use subtext to communicate to one another the messages we really want to communicate. Pay attention to it and use it in your screenplays!READ MORE HERE:

“Success results from a relentless accumulation of small effects that grow into a critical mass that becomes invincible.” From “Mind Over Water”, by Craig Lambert

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“Culture is the sum total of the experiences people choose to have in common, and it provides the context and structure that facilitates all our collaborations and communications.” ~ Tennyson E. Stead

A MOONDANCER WRITES US:

From Stage32.com

“This is a fantastic concept, and when I read the words “Film Festival Without Borders”…. I just had to learn more. Its great to break and expand the barriers of territory and audience, bringing stories straight onto the world platform. Get the Art out there, without people in petty positions of power, gathering crowds to confined spaces of their own choosing. Let the world decide what films do it for them.” ~ Debbie Croysdale, Actor, screenwriter, director & filmmaker, London, England

Plan now to participate in this unique film festival, and help celebrate the 18th annual Moondance International Film Festival!

“THE CROW AND THE WATER PITCHER”

A crow wanted a drink, but the level in the water pitcher was too low. So he cleverly dropped pebbles in, one-by-one, which slowly raised the water level until he could drink the water!

That’s what you, our generous financial supporters, sponsors and friends of the festival are tothe Moondance! Individually, each one of you increases, dollar-by-dollar, our ability to continue our important mission. But all together, your support makes our mission and another festival year possible. You help continue a film festival that is admired and respected by filmmakers, writers, composers, agents, actors, producers, directors, distributors, indie film buffs, and by an international audience around the world!

RAISE THE LEVEL! PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT THE MOONDANCE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TODAY!

“Write what you know” is the vital, traditional message for all fiction and non-fiction writers, screenwriters, playwrights and journalists. You need to know the details, the visuals, the emotions, the reactions to events, and the totality of the experience, in order to write coherently about a subject, and action, a character and his or her dialog, and for your reader, or audience to relate to the story, the character and the action.

If you don’t know anything, or very little, about a subject, do deep research, learn about it from others, ask an expert, read about it online or in books, go experience it yourself, pay attention as you go through your daily life, listen and look, remember what you’ve seen, heard, learned and experienced, then use it in your writing. It’s a vital element of your “job” as a writer.

You would never be hired by any company if you didn’t know anything about the job and had no experience in the work required! Expand your knowledge and your experiences beyond your desk, mobile devices, social media, and computer.

“The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.” ~ Toni Morrison

Get on out there and see the world, watch how people act in various situations, and listen to & watch how people express themselves, experience other events than usual. Learn to tango, ride a horse, go to a circus, cook a foreign dish, go for a long hike in the woods, join a political group, plant an organic garden, build a snow sculpture or sand castle, surf the waves, swim with wild dolphins, visit with the elderly in a nursing home, chat with a military veteran, practice yoga, learn to meditate, shop at a farmer’s market, volunteer to work with an environmental group, attend a lecture, go to a museum or an art gallery, study improv acting, travel to a foreign country, volunteer at an animal shelter, visit the children’s ward in a hospital, play hide-and-seek with a child, listen to teenagers to learn their lingo, sit in on an Al-Anon meeting, pick apples from a tree, chat with some homeless folks, go on an archaeological expedition, and, above all, remember and use your experiences and your past, discover your roots. Don’t just rely on movies, TV, social media and the Internet for your writing ideas…that’s not necessarily real life! READ MORE:

“This film is very fascinating…and memorable…it’s very well done…I haven’t seen this kind of animation before…and the use of sound and other imagery is remarkable…very ‘Kafka-esque’. More to it than meets the eye.” ~ Phil Pritchard

Fight back against Trump’s “review” of Giant Sequoia National Monument — the home of 3,200-year-old trees towering 250 feet (more than 23 stories tall!) in the air.The trees in Giant Sequoia National Monument stand nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty and represent 2/3 of the remaining Sequoia trees ON EARTH. Giant Sequoia and the related coast redwood forests store more climate-altering carbon per acre than any other forest type on the planet, but none of that matters to Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Opening up logging in Giant Sequoia forests is just unthinkable.It’s unbelievable that protecting them is even a question!

The Giant Sequoia relies on the greater forest ecosystem, and tree canopy of redwoods and other trees. They do not and cannot exist or survive in isolation. This ecosystem contains streams, as well as lush meadows and rare animals such as the California spotted owl and California condor. Opening this area to logging will place not only the Giant Sequoia at risk, but also the water and air quality for humans, flora and animals.Please join us and step up the pressure on your local, national & international lawmakers via emails now, to stop Trump and his wealthy cronies before they can completely destroy 3,200 years of the Earth’s precious natural history.These men appear to be willing to bend any law and decimate every natural treasure if it profits the major corporate interests who funneled almost $11 million into Trump’s inaugural coffers. Thank you for all you can do to protect America’s national monuments and the wildlife, tribal communities and neighboring economies who depend on the Antiquities Act’s critical protections to endure.With your help, we will save the Sequoias and other iconic American treasures for our children and grandchildren — hopefully, even, for another 32 centuries.

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The Veterans Brotherhood is a 501c3. Our main purpose is to prevent veteran suicides. We have been in existence for roughly 3 years. We take veterans off the street who are homeless and have no money or no place to go. We put them up in a hotel for a few days and evaluate them to place them in the best place for their needs. In our first year we took 18 veterans off the street. We donated $500 to gift cards to 3 families who had no food in their house. We found an elderly veteran who was in danger of losing his home for back taxes. We took a collection and paid his taxes. We also set him up with an organization so that won’t happen again. Some of these veterans now have jobs and their own apartment.

Our biggest project so far is a documentary film about PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and TBI (traumatic brain injury). The film will be called “The Journey Home”. This film follows a Vietnam Veteran who comes home with PTSD but doesn’t know it. Eventually he comes full circle and devotes his life to helping other veterans with PTSD. We feel this film will do more to help veterans than anything else we could possibly do. This is a big undertaking and will be about a year before it is finished. If we can save one life through this film it will be worth it. We are in the early stages of finances for the film. We believe this film will give everyone the biggest bang for the buck to help veterans. We want to educate the public on PTSD but more importantly we want to educate veterans’ family members on what their son or daughter may be going through. PLEASE DONATE HERE

A NEW MOONDANCE WRITES US:

“Congratulations on Moondance’s success, while maintaining its commitment to important social issues.” ~ Raul Garza

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

“Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” ~ Henry Ford

Although more than 2500 years old, Aesop’s fables still have something vital to inform us, especially when it comes to funding the Moondance International Film Festival’s mission & goals. There’s something to think about in this fable of “The Crow and the Water Pitcher”.

A crow wanted a drink of water, but the level in the water pitcher was too low to reach. So she cleverly dropped pebbles in, one-by-one, which slowly raised the water level until she could drink the water!

That’s what you, our generous donors, financial supporters, sponsors and friends of the festival are to the Moondance! Individually, each one of you increases, dollar-by-dollar, our ability to continue our important mission. But all together, your support makes another festival year possible. You help continue a film festival’s indie film screenings, productive workshops, and amazing networking opportunities, and mission, that is admired and respected by filmmakers, writers, composers, agents, actors, producers, directors, distributors, indie film buffs, and an international audience around the world!

Raise the level! Donate now to support theMoondance International Film Festival today!

INSIDER TIPS:

MAKING A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE:

By Elizabeth English

See all those people out there? All that equipment? Each and every one of them cost money. You wrote a screenplay, didn’t you? It got the greenlight. We’re making a movie here. OK? Quiet on the set! Rolling! And…action!

Production assistants or PAs, studio execs, animal wranglers, props, art director, production designer, extras, location manager, assistant to the director, producer’s assistants, Foley, prop master, special effects, stunt coordinator, tech advisors, book-keeper/accountant, fire marshal, production designer, art director, story board artists, line producer, editor, catering, (and maybe even the screenwriter, if you’re lucky!). How many people are we talking about? 100+ below-the-line, maybe 25 above the line. Budget for this pic? Anywhere up to a hundred million dollars, give or take a million or so.

Now, the DIRECTOR’S GOALS here are two things: to get the best, most believable performances from the actors, and to get the best visual images on film. The PRODUCER’S GOALS, however, are to solve problems, give the director everything he or she wants, to spend the available time and money properly, and report to the investors. Of which, 70% goes to above-the-line costs, and only 30% go to below-the-line expenses.

But what do the STUDIO EXECS want to see? They want to see their money up on that screen! A movie is the most expensive entertainment production ever devised (other than the US presidential campaigns)!

Directors strive for a certain “harmonics”, a balance between the story components in your screenplay and proper production values. They want the story to be authentic: believable even. And entertaining!READ MORE HERE!

Don’t miss reading all of the other great insider articles written by pros exclusively for MoondancersHERE!

A MOONDANCER WRITES US:

“In 2015, Moondance awarded my 4-part audio drama “5 Levels of Fear” a Spirit of Moondance award. It has been picked up by Aural Stage Studios in New York and will be recorded later this year. The folks there, Matthew and Monique Boudreau asked me to come on board as co-producer.” ~ Sable Jak

MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS:

SAVE OUR OCEAN WILDLIFE!

Following the president’s recent executive order setting the stage for oil and gas drilling to resume in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, the Trump administration has released draft authorizations for seismic blasting in the Atlantic. But to proceed, these companies need approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and that’s where you come in.

Seismic blasting poses a serious threat to ocean life. These blasts register 235 decibels – louder than a rocket launch – and travel for hundreds, if not thousands of miles through the ocean. Scientists tell us that at least 130,000 marine mammals, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, will be injured by these blasts.

Don’t let the Trump administration continue to put the interests of the oil and gas industry above those of the American people, of precious marine wildlife populations and of a healthy and clean ocean environment!

And that’s where you come in – seismic testing companies still need approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) before they can begin their work to survey for oil and gas.

Scientists estimate that at least 130,000 marine mammals, including endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale, will be injured or killed by these blasts. Seismic blasting can drive whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife out of the vital habitat they depend on for feeding, reproducing and migrating. It can also deafen marine mammals outright – the sound levels are powerful enough to cause them to bleed from their ears!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

Offer detailed camera directions in your screenplay. Don’t trust the intelligence of the director of photography or cinematographer and offer camera directions in your script like, ‘pan’, ‘zoom’, ‘dolly’, ‘trolley shot’ or ‘low angle shot’. That will make your script look like one from history and is a definite way of getting it rejected.

Insist on adding editing directions in your screenplay. Similarly, go ahead… show a complete disregard to the editor’s intelligence and write editing instructions like ‘cut to’, ‘dissolve to’, etc. and your screenplay will look like a thing of the past. In modern-day screenplays, editing directions are no longer acceptable. Only FADE IN and FADE TO BLACK are used in an entire screenplay. By the way, FADE IN and FADE TO BLACK are transitions, not scene descriptions, or sluglines, and they belong on the right-hand side of the first & last pages.

Do not not capitalize the character names in the beginning, the first time the character is seen. Leave them in lowercase text or, even worse, have them in UPPER CASE throughout the entire script, and your screenplay will be rejected for sure.

Type most or all of the elements the props person will need to know about, such as DOOR, LAMP, CAR, HOUSE, TREE, in all caps, too. Similarly, have words that denote sound, like WHOOSH, SCREAM, WOOF, BANG, or CLANG in upper case, to show that you know all about sounds for the Foley editors, and, incidentally, to make your script virtually unreadable and distracting.READ MORE HERE

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY:

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

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“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants and the bees. The question is: What are we busy about?” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Interesting flaws humanize a character who is challenged to overcome inner doubts, errors in thinking, guilt or trauma from the past, or fear of and hopes for the future. Weaknesses, imperfections, quirks, and vices make a character more real & appealing. The audience can identify with the character.

Flaws and imperfections give a character somewhere to go – the character arc – in which a character develops and grows, overcoming obstacles and gaining knowledge and wisdom, and is recreated and restored to wholeness. A real character is not just a single obvious trait, but a unique combination of many qualities and drives, some of them conflicting.

Character development is essential to a good story. Characters should enter the story as dimensional, non-stereotypical characters, and become more dimensional as the story and other characters act upon them. They should be big as life; capable of developing and being transformed. We should see different sides of them, understand how they think and act, learn about their philosophies and attitudes. We should be aware of their emotional make-up through their responses to their surroundings, to others with whom they interact, and to events which occur.

If your characters don’t come alive in the script, they won’t come alive on the screen. Answer these questions, as you characterize the protagonist, antagonist, and other characters within your storyline: what is this character’s goal or motivation, why does he or she want to achieve this goal, who or what is trying to stop this character from reaching this goal and why, what strengths or weaknesses of this character will help or hinder in the pursuit of this goal? READ MORE:

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY:

“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. “ ~ Bradley Whitford

Take a look inside the Moondance photo album! (Click below)

A listing of your script on InkTip so that producers and reps can find you. InkTip helps writers sell their scripts and get representation. Producers have made more than 200 films from scripts and writers they found through InkTip!

STUDIO-TYPE COVERAGE OF YOUR SCRIPT OR FILM! Ready to get your screenplay or film on the right track?

Moondancer Endorsement!

I was contacted by a sales company, Circus Road Films and by a distribution company named Silverline Entertainment. Both found my film on the Moondance roster and requested a screener, which I sent them. One of the things I liked reading about Moondance is your investment not only in the festival itself, but in helping filmmakers get through industry doors - which has been tough, to say the least. Thanks for curating an important and much-needed festival. As a woman director, the added hurdles I face daily can feel insurmountable, and your work keeps women like me going. ~ Ela Their, director, “Tomorrow Ever After”, screening at Moondance 2016

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